Baggage transportation method

ABSTRACT

In a communications network, such as the Internet system and method for arranging the transportation of baggage for airline passengers. Flight information and baggage information from a user is received via the communications network. Typically this is accomplished via a combination of information capture from an online travel provider (e.g., airline) and user input at a Web page. The baggage to be transported is identified and transported from an origin airport to a destination airport. The baggage is delivered to the user specified destination location. The method may further comprise collecting the baggage from an origin location other than the origin airport (e.g., residence, office, hotel, etc.). Travelers may access updated information concerning the location of their baggage from a desktop or laptop computer, a hand-held communication device, a cellular telephone with Internet access, or other suitable communications device.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of baggage handling. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to a computer-based systemand method for arranging baggage pick-up from a traveler-specified firstlocation and delivery to a traveler-specified second location.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Transporting baggage to and from the home or office to the airport isfrequently one of the most cumbersome aspects of airline travel forbusiness and pleasure travelers alike. Moreover, airline passengerscarrying more than one small piece of luggage to the airport are oftenforced to wait in long lines to manually check their luggage withairline personnel. Typically, at check-in, an airline employee inputsthe passenger's name or ticket number and the number of bags travelingwith the passenger into a computer terminal. Tags are then generated andaffixed to the baggage, which is then placed on a conveyor. Due to thetime constraints associated with airline travel, this delay often forcespassengers to hurry through the airport to board their flights on time,adding to an already stressful travel experience.

The inconvenience associated with checking baggage continues even afterpassengers disembark an aircraft in their destination city. Travelersmust typically wait at baggage carousels for their baggage to appear,while the line outside of the airport for ground transportation steadilygrows. Those unlucky passengers whose bags are unloaded last from theaircraft will unfortunately spend additional time waiting in line forground transportation. In addition, airline delays and/or unavoidablescheduling may often force business travelers to carry their baggagedirectly from the airport to a business meeting because they do not havesufficient time to check in at their hotel.

The prior art includes baggage handling systems that are limited tointra-airport (or intra-terminal) baggage handling. For example, U.S.Pat. No. 5,793,639 to Yamazaki is directed to an intra-airport baggagereceiving and handling method and system, with particular emphasis onthe security aspects of baggage handling. Other prior art shippingservices ship packages (e.g., a set of golf clubs) as freight separatefrom the passenger (i.e., the packages or baggage are not transported aschecked baggage on a commercial airline flight with their passengerowner). Airlines will also typically deliver baggage to the home of apassenger when that baggage was temporarily lost or delayed duringtravel. None of these prior art systems, however, eliminates the needfor travelers to carry their bags to the airport, wait in line to checktheir bags at the counter with airline personnel, with a skycap, or atan airport kiosk, retrieve their bags from an airport carousel, andcarry their bags to a destination location.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A system and method for arranging the transportation of baggage forairline passengers from an origin location (e.g., home, office, etc.) toa destination location (e.g., hotel, convention center) and to enablepassengers to monitor and verify the status of their baggagetransportation via a computer or handheld communications device (cellphone, PDA, etc.) is disclosed. The disclosed system and methodsignificantly alleviate the inconvenience associated with airlinetravel. In a preferred embodiment, flight information and baggageinformation from a user is received via a communications network such asthe Internet. This may be accomplished by providing a link from anonline travel provider Web site (e.g., an airline) to a baggage deliveryWeb site. In one preferred embodiment, information entered by a userduring the purchase of an airline ticket is automatically captured bythe baggage delivery Web site. Additional information relating tobaggage delivery may be input directly by a user at the baggage deliveryWeb site. The baggage to be transported is identified and transportedfrom an origin airport to a destination airport. The baggage isdelivered to the user specified destination location. The method mayfurther comprise collecting the baggage from an origin location otherthan the origin airport. Information concerning the location of thebaggage may be provided to a user via the communications network.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully fromthe following detailed description, taken in conjunction with thedrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the transportation of passengerbaggage in the prior art;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the transportation of baggageaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of a system of thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the steps in a preferred embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 5A is a sample web page from an airline web site.

FIG. 5B is another sample web page from an airline web site displayingavailable flights for a selected itinerary;

FIG. 5C is still another sample web page from an airline web sitedisplaying traveler information;

FIG. 5D is another web page from an airline web site with a link toallow users to arrange baggage pick and/or delivery;

FIG. 6A is a sample web page illustrating the input and/or capture offlight information from a passenger;

FIG. 6B is a sample web page illustrating the input of baggage pick-upand/or delivery information;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a web site inaccordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a sample web page displaying baggage status information to aninquiring user.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference is now made to FIG. 1, which is a block diagram illustratingthe transportation of passenger baggage in the prior art. As shown, apassenger 102 must typically carry his or her baggage from an originlocation 104 (e.g., home, office, etc.) to an origin airport 106. Onceat airport 106, passenger 102 must usually wait in line to check bags atthe counter with airline personnel, with a skycap, or at an airportkiosk 107 at the appropriate airline terminal. The length of apassenger's wait depends on current airport conditions. For example, ifmany flights have been canceled or delayed due to inclement weather,most passengers will be forced to wait in line to re-book their flightsfor a later time. Passengers arriving at the airport at these times willoften have to wait in line for over an hour simply to check theirbaggage, while those passengers not checking baggage may proceeddirectly to the departure gate without waiting in line. After passengersand their checked baggage are successfully loaded onto a plane 108 andflown to a destination airport 110, passenger 102 must again wait at abaggage carousel 112 at the arrival terminal to claim his or her checkedbaggage. Passenger 102 must then transport his or her baggage via someform of ground transportation to their next location (e.g., office,conference center, etc.), which may or may not be their finaldestination location 114 (e.g., hotel, residence, etc.).

Reference is now made to FIG. 2, which is a block diagram illustratingthe transportation of passenger baggage according to the presentinvention. Baggage 202 is picked up by a Ground Delivery Operator (GDO)from origin location 204. The baggage may be checked by the GDO at theorigin location 204, or transported and checked on behalf of its ownerat origin airport 206. In a preferred embodiment, the GDOs act as agentson behalf of the airline. Upon pick-up by the GDO, the bags areappropriately tagged and logged into a trackable computer database usinga portable tag-generating and scanning device. Typically, a confirmationnumber or other baggage identifier is provided to the baggage owner whenbaggage delivery is initially booked (e.g., via the baggage delivery Website 310 in FIG. 3) to allow for real-time tracking of baggage, asdescribed below. Thus, the owner of the bags, passenger 208, need notcarry his or her baggage to the airport or wait in line at check-in.Instead, passenger 208 may proceed directly to the departure gate 211.Baggage 202 is loaded on the plane 210 with passenger 208 and flown tothe destination airport 212. Upon arrival, passenger 208 is free toleave the airport immediately and proceed to a business meeting, hotel,or other appointment/location 214. Passenger 208 need not pick upbaggage 202 at a baggage carousel because the baggage is delivereddirectly to the passenger's designated destination location 216 (e.g.,hotel, residence, etc.).

Reference is now made to FIG. 3 which is a block diagram of a system ofthe present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, users communicating viaconventional computers 302 (e.g., desktop PCs, laptops, etc.), land-linetelephones 304, or wireless communications devices 306 (e.g., cellulartelephone, Palm VII™, etc.) may access a travel Web site, such asairline Web site 308 via a communications network, such as the Internet309. In a preferred embodiment, while purchasing airline tickets, usersare provided the option of arranging for the pick-up and delivery oftheir personal baggage. As described more fully below, when a userchooses this option, the user links to a second baggage-delivery Website 310 dedicated to baggage delivery. Typically, Web site 310 ismaintained by a server computer 312 having a database 314. Database 314stores baggage identification information (e.g., baggage claim numbers)in linked relation to a final delivery location specified by thetraveler. Alternatively, users can directly access the baggage deliveryWeb site 310 to make arrangements for the transportation of theirbaggage. After making baggage transportation arrangements, users cancheck the status of their baggage (e.g., delivered or not delivered) byaccessing Web site 310 via conventional computer 302, conventionaltelephone 304, or wireless device 306, as described below.

Typical operation of the present system and method is further describedin connection with FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 4, in step 402, the travelernavigates to a travel Web site 308, such as the Web site of an airline.An example of a home Web page 502 of a typical airline Web site is shownin FIG. 5A. In step 404, prospective travelers may enter their flightcriteria (e.g., travel origin and destination locations d preferredtravel dates) into an HTML form 504 on Web page 502. As shown in FIG.5B, the prospective passenger is then typically provided with a list 506of available flights meeting the specified criteria at a second Web page508. In step 406, the passenger then selects a flight from list 506 and,if a reservation can be made for the passenger's desired flight, the Website then prompts the passenger to enter billing information 510, suchas the passenger's name, address, and credit card number, at another Webpage 512, as shown in FIG. 5C. At a final confirmation Web page 514, anexample of which is shown in FIG. 5D, the passenger confirms the ticketpurchase.

In this preferred embodiment, in step 408, if the traveler wishes tomake arrangements for baggage pick-up and delivery, the travelerindicates this desire in step 410 by clicking an icon 516 on Web page514 (see FIG. 5D) to navigate to baggage-delivery Web site 310 (see FIG.3). In a preferred embodiment, all of the passenger's travel informationis forwarded from Web page 512 to Web site 310 via automatic data relaywhen the passenger clicks icon 516. For example, the server operatingWeb page 512 may directly transmit a passenger's flight information tobaggage-delivery Web site 310 via Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). Thetransmitted data may be specified in extensible Markup Language (XML) orother appropriate format.

In step 410, Web site 310 dynamically creates a Web page including thepassenger's travel information and a form to permit the passenger tofill in additional information concerning baggage delivery. An exampleof how such a Web page might look is shown in FIG. 6A. As shown in FIG.6A, Web page 602 is automatically filled in with the traveler's name,address, and flight information 604 using the data relayed from airlineWeb site 308. Web page 602 also includes blank fields 606 to prompt theuser to enter the number of bags, the location from which the baggage isto be picked up, and the location to which it is to be delivered.Typically, the traveler schedules and/or reserves a pickup appointmenttime within a range of acceptable baggage pick-up times. For example, atraveler may wish to have his or her baggage picked-up and processed theevening before an early morning flight.

In step 412, the traveler enters the necessary baggage information andconfirms his or her desire to have baggage picked-up and delivered. FIG.6B is an example of Web page 602 with baggage information 608 filled inby the traveler. In step 414, at a time specified by the traveler, thebaggage is collected from the origin location by a GDO and tagged usinga portable baggage tag generating device. Upon generation of the baggagetag, database 314 is updated and the baggage identifier is stored inlinked relation to the final traveler-specified location.

Alternatively, a passenger who carries his or her bags to the airportand checks them in the traditional fashion can make baggage deliveryarrangements by accessing an airport kiosk terminal and providing thebaggage identifier information (e.g., baggage tag identificationnumbers) and a destination location. This aspect is especially usefulfor the business traveler who may have carried his or her bags to theairport but must proceed directly to a business meeting upon arrival atthe destination airport and does not wish to carry his or her bags tothe meeting. Baggage delivery may also be arranged as part of the usualpre-flight check-in process.

In step 416, after clearing security checks at the origin airport, thebaggage is transported from the origin airport to the destinationairport. If a GDO is delayed in transporting baggage to an airport andthe scheduled flight is missed, arrangements for an alternate flight aremade. Traveler claims for missing or damaged bags are preferably handledby personnel associated with the entity that operates the baggagepick-up and delivery service. Alternatively, claims for missing ordamaged bags may be handled by the GDO. In step 418, the baggage isagain collected from the airport by a porter or other personnelassociated with the baggage delivery Web site and delivered to the finaltraveler-specified location. In the event that any problem isencountered during baggage transport and a traveler's baggage is nottransported, the traveler is preferably immediately contacted both viatelephone and electronic mail, if possible.

The present system and method are further described in connection withFIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 7, when a user accesses the home page of Website 310, he or she is prompted to enter his or her user login andpassword at Web page 3.1. If the user has not already registered as amember of the Web site, he or she is prompted to become a new member atWeb page 3.2.1. The new member area of the Web site includes Web pages3.2.2 describing how the baggage delivery system of the presentinvention operates. After registering as a new member, a user willreceive a login name and password to access the site. After logging in,members are greeted at Web page 3.3.1.1 and provided with any membermessages at Web page 3.3.1.2 regarding current transactions and/orpromotions from the baggage-delivery system. Once within the memberarea, members can make baggage delivery arrangements and/or check theirbaggage delivery and flight status.

If a member decides to make baggage delivery arrangements, the memberenters the appropriate baggage information (e.g., number of bags,pick-up and destination locations) and a transaction record is created.The mileage and corresponding fee for the locations and number of bagsspecified by the member are calculated and submitted to the member forapproval. As shown, this mileage and fee calculation may be performed bya third party (e.g., airline), but it should be understood that thisfunction could easily be performed by the party maintaining Web site310. For example, fees may be automatically generated from internaldatabase rule rates established by the entity that maintains the baggagedelivery Web site.

If the member wishes to proceed with the baggage delivery transaction, aflight-specific baggage manifest is generated and sent to a GDO. Upontagging of baggage by a GDO, or, alternatively, checking of the baggageat the airport by a member traveler, the baggage claim numbers arecaptured in database 314 (see FIG. 3) and matched with the transactionrecord created earlier. If a member wishes to check flight status, athird party feed of flight status information may be queried and theappropriate information is relayed to the member.

As discussed briefly above, at any time during the baggagetransportation process, a passenger may monitor the status of thebaggage delivery process by using a computer or other communicationsdevice, such as a cellular telephone or PDA (e.g., Palm VII™, HandspringVisor™, etc.). As shown in FIG. 8, to perform such a status inquiry, auser will typically access Web site 310 and enter his or her flightconfirmation number 802 and/or other baggage identifier code. Afterappropriate identity authentication (e.g., entry and confirmation of auser password), baggage delivery status 804 (e.g., delivered, delayed,etc.) is displayed to the user. This aspect is also quite advantageousto the business traveler, since he or she can silently access the Website via a wireless communications device while at a business meeting todetermine if his or her baggage has been successfully delivered to ahotel or residence.

While the present invention has been described with reference to thepreferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize thatnumerous variations and modifications may be made without departing fromthe scope of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be clearlyunderstood that the embodiments of the invention described above are notintended as limitations on the scope of the invention, which is definedonly by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for arranging the transportation ofbaggage for an airline passenger from an origin location to adestination location via an origin airport and a destination airport,the origin location and destination location being distinct from theorigin airport and destination airport, respectively, the methodcomprising: (a) establishing a baggage-delivery Web site adapted toserve a first Web page to a browser, the first Web page displayinginformation concerning airline travel planned by the passenger andcomprising a form, the form comprising a first field for entering theorigin location for the baggage and a second field for entering thedestination location for the baggage; (b) generating a baggage manifestfor the baggage and transmitting the baggage manifest to a grounddelivery operator; (c) collecting the baggage from the origin location,the step of collecting being performed by the ground delivery operator;(d) tagging the baggage; (e) transmitting baggage information via acommunications network and associating said baggage information withflight information of a flight to be taken by the passenger; (f)transporting the baggage from the origin location to the origin airport;(g) transporting the baggage from the origin airport to the destinationairport; (h) delivering the baggage to the destination location; (i)maintaining updated information concerning baggage location and deliverystatus in a database; (j) receiving a request from the passenger via awireless network for information concerning baggage location anddelivery status; and (k) transmitting information concerning baggagelocation and delivery status to the passenger.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein the communications network is the Internet.
 3. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising providing an identifier to the user fortracking baggage.